Retractible attachment for chair arms



1965 w. MOFARLAND ETAL 3,215,467

RETRACTIBLE ATTACHMENT FOR CHAIR ARMS Filed Sept. 15, 1964 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig./

Wanda/l McFarland A rfhur C. Mil/er, Jr. INVENTORS BY lam,

1965 w. MOFARLAND ETAL 3, 7

RETRAGTIBLE ATTACHMENT FOR CHAIR ARMS Filed Sept. 15, 1964 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 6

Wanda/l McFarland Arthur 6. Mil/er, Jr.

1NVENT0R United States Patent 3,215,467 RETRACTIBLE ATTACHMENT FOR CHAIRARMS Wendall McFarland, 127 N. Elmwood St., Davenport, Iowa, and ArthurC. Miller, Jr., 1105 N. 8th St, Burlington, Iowa Filed Sept. 15, 1964,Ser. No. 396,597 4 Claims. (Cl, 297-194) The present invention generallyrelates to new and useful improvements in chair attachments for useparticularly, although by no means necessarily, in beauty salons, andhas for its primary object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter setforth, a unique combination ash receptacle and cup holder which isalways at hand for the convenience of a customer seated in a chair insuch an establishment.

Another highly important object of the invention is to provide anattachment of the aforementioned character which is readily movable toan out-of-the-way position beneath the chair arm when said attachment isnot in use.

Still another important object of the present invention is to provide animproved chair arm attachment of the character described comprising acombined tray and cup holder or coaster which may be expeditiouslyremoved, emptied, cleaned and then replaced.

Another object is to provide an attachment of the character set forthwhich is adapted to be readily installed for use on :an arm of aconventional chair without the necessity of making structuralalterations therein.

Other objects are to provide a chair arm attachment which iscomparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, compact, of lightweight, attractive in appearance and which may be manufactured at lowcost.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view, showing an attachment embodying the presentinvention in use on a chair arm, the tray being retracted;

FIGURE 2 is a view in side elevation thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view;

FIGURE 4 is a front elevational view substantially similar to FIGURE 3but with the tray in operative po sition;

FIGURE 5 is an exploded perspective view of the device;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view in trans verse section througha side portion of the tray and its support;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view partially in section, showingthe means for securing the tray in operative position;

FIGURE 8 is a cross-sectional view, taken substantially on the line 88of FIGURE 7; and

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view, taken substantially on theline 99 of FIGURE 5.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that referencenumeral 10 designates generally a portion of a conventional chair arm.of the type frequently found in beauty parlors and otherestablishments. The arm 10 comprises the usual support 12 having anarmrest 14 secured thereon by screws 16.

The embodiment of the present invention which has been illustratedcomprises a bracket of suitable metal designated generally by thereference numeral 18. The bracket 18 is to be mounted on the armstructure 10. Toward this end, the bracket 18 includes an elongatedplate or bar 20 which is secured longitudinally on the arm 10 betweenthe support 12 and the rest 14, said plate having spaced openings 22therein which accommodate the screws 16.

The elongated plate 20 further includes a relatively wide forwardportion 24 of generally inverted U-shaped cross-section which straddlesthe support 12. The depending side portions or legs of the channelportion 24 of the plate 20 are rolled in a manner to providelongitudinally split sleeves 26. The rear end portions of the sleeves 26are formed to provide substantially hookshaped keepers 28 the purpose ofwhich will be presently set forth.

Mounted on the bracket 18 is an arm 2-8 which supports a combinationtray 30. The arm 28 includes a rod or shaft 32 of suitable metal whichis rotatable and slidable in either of the sleeves 26 of the bracket 18.The shaft 32 comprises a flattened, relatively wide forward end portion34 which projects forwardly beyond the respective sleeve 26 forreceiving the tray 30 thereon.

The tray 30, in the embodiment shown, includes an ash receptacle 36having associated therewith a cigarette or cigar holder 38, togetherwith a cup holder or coaster 40. Formed integrally with one longitudinalside of the tray 30 and depending therefrom is a longitudinally splittube or sleeve 42 which slidably receives and friction-ally grips theforward end portion 34 of the shaft 32 for re rnovably securing the trayin position on said shaft. As shown to advantage in FIGURE 6 of thedrawing, a detent or dimple 44 in the split, resilient tube or sleeve42, adjacent the free longitudinal edge thereof, is engageable in adepress-ion 46 provided therefor in the member 34 for retaining the trayin position.

The shaft 32 has formed diametrically in its rear end portion an openingor bore 48. A spring-pressed detent 50 is mounted in the opening 48 andengageable with the keeper 28 for locking said shaft 32 and securing thetray 30 in an operative position.

It is thought that the use of the attachment will be readily apparentfrom a consideration of the foregoing. Briefly, the shaft 32 may bemounted for operation in either of the sleeves 26 and the spring-presseddetent 50 facilitates inserting said shaft. With the shaft 32 in theretracted poistion of FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawing, the tray 30depends therefrom and is substantially concealed beneath the armstructure 10. When the tray 30 is to be used, said tray is pulledforwardly to the broken line position of FIGURE 2 of the drawing thussliding the shaft 32 forwardly in the sleeve 26 in which said shaft ismounted. The tray 30 is then swung upwardly to a generally horizontalposition which, of course, rotates the shaft 32 in the sleeve 26. Thetray 30 with the shaft 32 is then manipulated for engaging the detent 50in the notch or recess 52 defined by the keeper 28 on the rear end ofsaid tube 26. Thus, the tray 30 is supported in a substantiallyhorizontal operative position. The detent 50, it will be noted, isperpendicular to the .plane of the flattened end portion 34 of the shaft32. Of course, to return the tray 30 to an inoperative position, theforegoing procedure is substantially reversed. The split, resilientsleeve or tube 42 permits the tray 30 to be readily removed from thesupport 28 when desired. In FIGURES 3 and 4 of the drawing there isshown, in broken lines, a tray mounted in the inner sleeve 26 of thebracket 18.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A chair arm attachment comprising a generally horizontal sleevemounted on the arm, a shaft rotatably and slidably mounted in saidsleeve, a tray afiixed to the shaft and sWing'a-ble to a substantiallyhorizontal operative position, and means for releasably securing thetray in said operative position, said means including a keeper on oneend portion of the sleeve, and a detent on the shaft cooperable with thekeeper.

2. A chair arm attachment in accordance with claim 1, said keeperdefining an upwardly opening notch, said detent being engageable bygravity in said notch.

3. A chair arm attachment in. accordance with claim 2, said shaftcomprising an end portion of non-circular cross-section, said traycomprising a split, resilient marginal sleeve of non-circularcross-section slidably receiving said end portion of the shaft andfrictionally and removably securing the tray thereon.

4. A ohair arm attachment in accordance with claim 3, said flattenedshaft end portion having a depression therein, the last-named sleeveincluding a detent engageable in said depression.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 17,633 4/94Wertheimer 297 -194 1,301,913 4/19 Corby 297l94- 1,979,301 11/34 Webb108-26 2,375,565 5/45 Liakopulos 297--l94 3,095,236 6/63 Klassen 297-194FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

1. A CHAIR ARM ATTACHMENT COMPRISING A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL SLEEVEMOUNTED ON THE ARM, A SHAFT ROTATABLY AND SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAIDSLEEVE, A TRAY AFFIXED TO THE SHAFT AND SWINGABLE TO A SUBSTANTIALLYHORIZONTAL OPERATIVE POSITION, AND MEANS FOR RELEASABLY SECURING THETRAY IN SAID OPERATIVE POSITION, SAID MEANS INCLUDING A KEEPER ON ONEEND PORTION OF THE SLEEVE, AND A DETENT ON THE SHAFT COOPERABLE WITH THEKEEPER.